1
as in accomplices
one associated with another in wrongdoing
the police were able to track down his confederates once the thief started talking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in supporters
someone associated with another to give assistance or moral support
relied on her confederates in the medical community for support
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cooperates
to form or enter into an association that furthers the interests of its members
the nations confederated in order to lower international trade barriers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of confederates
Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Hynes died, but his three confederates have been subpoenaed to testify in my malicious prosecution lawsuit.
—John O’Hara, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
As the fallout continues, and fans question the filming and casting decisions of parent company Disney, Paul’s MomTok confederates are issuing statements and subtweets.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Players can enrich themselves and their confederates, at least until they’re caught.
—David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Trump reverted back to the names honoring confederates.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Judge Nelson’s concerns are unfounded, as Kalshi and its confederates—Robinhood, Coinbase, and the CFTC—are not relying solely on the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act update to substantiate their claim that the CEA empowers the CFTC to regulate betting on the outcomes of sporting events.
—Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Hynes died, but his three confederates have been subpoenaed to testify in my malicious prosecution lawsuit.
—John O’Hara, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
As the fallout continues, and fans question the filming and casting decisions of parent company Disney, Paul’s MomTok confederates are issuing statements and subtweets.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Players can enrich themselves and their confederates, at least until they’re caught.
—David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Trump reverted back to the names honoring confederates.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confederates
Noun
-
Investigators are looking into whether there are more burial sites and any accomplices.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
He’s unexpectedly visited by Little John (Bill Skarsgård), once one of his underage criminal accomplices, and asked to help defend the younger man’s family and homestead from vengeful past foes.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The final whistle may have ended the match, but the celebration was just getting started for England supporters in North Texas.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
-
The pending bill’s supporters say its changes are designed to address cases like that of Gilberto Guttierrez, a Los Angeles County man who has been accused of attacking his wife four times over the last 12 years.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
As a matter of practice, the district cooperates fully with any review conducted by the Office for Civil Rights.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Your 3rd House of Communication lights up as sensual Venus cooperates with The Great Awakener Uranus in your 1st House of Identity, giving your words charisma and courage.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Only Burnham, his allies said, could stem the party’s electoral decline in a way that the hugely unpopular Starmer cannot.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
Under the hood, Espaillat is counting on his network of Dominican-American political allies, while Chevalier hopes Mamdani’s nod, along with her army of young volunteers, can tip the balance.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
It will be won by organizations that consolidate and orchestrate with a vendor-neutral control plane that federates data, reasons across domains, governs agents as first-class citizens and connects to whatever the ecosystem looks like next quarter.—
Shailesh Manjrekar,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The exec brought up how Arte federates a network of 14 public broadcasters, has programs available in seven languages, and maintains strong ties with the creative ecosystem across Europe.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bryant’s book follows the lives of Robinson and Robeson, two high-profile African Americans whose lives were altered during the Cold War and its hunt for communist sympathizers.—
Bob Kustra,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
In a society traumatized by the violence of the last 70 years, the new president came to power seeking to resume the path established by the 2016 peace agreement, in which about 13,000 FARC combatants and sympathizers exchanged armed struggle for amnesty and state protection.—
Roberto Andrés,
The Dial,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The Panthers on Sunday acquired forward Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators, a deal that unites the Tkachuk brothers and brings yet another star hockey player to South Florida.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
21 June 2026
-
What unites them is a focus on intervention rather than observation.—
Dasha Shunina,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2026 the United States collaborates with Israel to kill Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
-
Because Spielberg occasionally collaborates with his buddy George Lucas, Indy (Harrison Ford) isn’t encountering any straightforward aliens from another world during the film’s loopy climax.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Confederates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confederates. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
